"Hereditary": An Artful Horror Film that Breaks Away from Traditional Jump Scares

"Hereditary" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, stunning the audience. Despite being the director's feature film debut, the movie didn't have the cheap feel often associated with low-budget independent films. It didn't rely on gratuitous bloodshed or the typical jump scares common in horror films (known as "Jump Scares"). Instead, it relied on a solid and steady narrative, textbook-level cinematography, clever composition of light and shadow, remarkable handling of terrifying details, and exceptional performances by the actors to tell the tragic story of a manipulated and doomed family.

The movie begins with a bizarre funeral. After the grandmother's death, the mother, Annie, frequently sees her grandmother's ghost wandering in the house, and her daughter, Charlie, becomes increasingly strange in her behaviors. Then, a sudden and horrifying accident results in Charlie's gruesome death in front of her family. The son, burdened by deep guilt, faces a mental breakdown. The family relationships plummet to an all-time low, pushing Annie's psychological resilience to the limit. Symptoms of dissociative identity disorder, sleepwalking, and suicide begin to manifest, revealing the various curses afflicting this family. It becomes clear that this family is gradually being consumed by evil forces, and their lives are crumbling step by step.

With the appearance of the cult of demon worshipers, we learn that Annie's family is not simply afflicted by mental illness but the target of a calculated curse. This curse originates from a cult led by the grandmother, with the aim of sacrificing the entire family to resurrect a demon from hell named Paimon. In a letter sent to Annie, she writes, "In the end, you will know that all the sacrifices were worth it, and our losses will feel like nothing compared to the rewards we have gained."

Paimon, also known as Paymon, is the ninth demon in the Lesser Key of Solomon's list of seventy-two demons. He is one of the eight Great Kings of Hell and rules over the western regions. Paimon is considered one of Lucifer's most loyal followers. He is often depicted as having a feminine face and a masculine body, riding a dromedary camel, wearing a crown, and possessing great knowledge in the arts, sciences, and culture. He exudes an aura of mystery and regal authority.

The mysterious bloodline connections result in Annie inheriting a part of her grandmother's cult personality. In her cult persona, she works to maintain her family but keeps her mother away from her son while neglecting her daughter, leading to Charlie becoming the host for Paimon. However, the cult still covets Peter's male body, and to facilitate Paimon's possession of Peter, they plan an accident to shatter the family's last defenses, leaving them with indelible trauma and psychological scars.

Having endured the seemingly slow and meticulous buildup in the first half of the movie, the second half of the film is filled with elements like seances, summoning spirits, possession, and sacrificial rituals, all interwoven into a vivid and intense narrative.

When the mother attempts to burn the demonic grimoire to break the curse of their bloodline, she inadvertently sets herself on fire. She pleads with her husband to help her complete this act in an attempt to unravel the curse but ends up causing her husband's immediate death by fire. At this moment, she finally realizes that everything in this family is bound by a covenant with Paimon and her own mother. Overwhelmed by fear, she is defenseless, and her last shred of belief crumbles, leaving her completely possessed by the cult personality.

So, the plot takes a sudden turn, with the victimized mother becoming the ultimate evil force, and the film enters its climax and conclusion. In the end, the demon "Paimon" that the cultists worship successfully descends, and the movie concludes with a bad ending.

"Hereditary" adheres to the concept that the camera is the audience's eye, employing a significant number of long shots, slow pushes and pulls, and spine-tingling transitions. These techniques enhance the audience's discomfort and create a well-crafted atmosphere of horror.

To complement this slow-burning, immersive atmosphere, the film employs a linear narrative approach, cleverly revealing clues that lead closer to the truth through scenes like the miniature model house. Each piece of information is presented in a natural and deliberate manner, shrouding the film in a perpetual sense of mystery while igniting the audience's desire to explore further. Additionally, the film includes meticulously placed details, metaphors, and foreshadowing that contribute to the eerie and sinister overall tone.

The film opens with a panoramic close-up of the miniature treehouse, which serves as the setting for the possession ritual. Then, the camera slowly pulls back, revealing the indoor scene within the frame. As the camera continues to push forward, it seamlessly transitions from the model toy house to the real-life setting, foreshadowing the family's destiny of being controlled.

Throughout the film, whether through long shots that blend the miniature house and real scenes or rapid transitions between day and night exteriors of the house, a peculiar effect is created, making it challenging to distinguish whether these scenes belong to the real world or a miniature model.

The family's artistic talents, demonstrated by the mother's skill in crafting miniature models, the grandmother's hand-woven carpets, and Charlie's passion for DIY toys, seem to be passed down through generations, aligning with Paimon's artistic background. This connection adds to the impression that the demon curse has left its mark on this family.

The high-in-the-sky treehouse becomes another nerve-wracking symbol. As the camera glides past the bedroom window at night, the unsettling red light emanating from it is enough to infiltrate our darkest nightmares.

With the exception of the film's ending, the demon or supernatural forces remain unseen, following a "less is more" approach similar to the "Alien" film series. True terror always resides in the mysterious darkness, hidden from view.

Certainly, the creation of atmosphere relies heavily on the use of lighting and shadows, and the film excels in this regard. The expert use of lighting, with a clear distinction between primary and secondary sources and the well-balanced interplay of warm and cool lighting undoubtedly enhance the sense of horror.

In the film's final moments, as the devout cultists welcome the demon king Paimon, the scene freezes within the triangular treehouse, establishing a connection with the mysterious triangular symbols repeatedly seen throughout the movie. This image also resembles a miniature model room, echoing the beginning of the film and emphasizing the allegorical nature of the story.

"Hereditary" draws upon ancient mysticism to tell a family tragedy bound by a bloodline curse. From a narrative perspective, it may not be groundbreaking, but the director's exceptional scene composition and well-structured script are far more worthy of exploration than the thrilling moments. The ongoing family curse, where the closest family members become puppets of evil, evokes a sense of powerlessness that stems from the real-life fear, which can be more chilling than supernatural phenomena.